This has been a very unusual winter for Maine. The weatherman says it is something to do with El Nino... but two days before Christmas, we were blessed with this wintry site at the Lodge.
The Lodge kitchen is ready to prepare the feast... which due to the ages of the grandbabies will feature "Food to be Grazed Upon" for Allen Family Christmas dinner. One thing growing older has taught me, there are no traditions that can't be morphed to fit the needs of an ever-growing family... but yet keep them similar enough that the warm the cockles of the original members of that family! The secret is to just be flexible...hmmm, seems that might apply to many things!
No one could come through the doors of Oak Hill Lodge and wonder what was the season! We are trimmed from the beams on down! It is a labour of love to be sure... although Eric did ask me if there was the slightest possibility that I had OCD... imagine that!
After adding 15 branches by Eric's "expert drilling technique"... we ended up with a really beautiful 18 foot tree for the Lodge. Now we anxiously await the arrival of Allen Family Christmas to see it as it should be, surrounded by presents!
What is more precious than the expressions of children? I couldn't help but put the caption about Santa to this photo, as Miss P looks like one of Santa's elves herself! Just the perfect little darling! Can't wait for Allen Family Christmas to see her again!
Forgive me Edgar Allen Poe for my interpretation of your great work with this title but our late fall project has been to put a patio on the far side of the Lodge. After spending a couple years hauling rocks from as far away as Bowdoinham where we were able to get them from the old barn foundation of a good friend of my sister's, we had accumulated enough to build a retaining wall around the perimeter of the patio and to build it several rows higher around the fire pit area to provide seating for those marshmallow or weiner roasts. Knowing that it would be far more difficult to gather the large flat stones we needed for the floor of the patio, we opted to buy two pallets from N.C. Hunt Lumber at a cost of $250 each. That made me appreciate all the hard work of gathering even more! We will build a pergola against the building on which will grow our wisteria vine and will move the grill up onto the patio along with the stainless storage cupboard we have had for several years. We were able to buy a couple of large cement planters at end of year clearance at Lowe's allowing me to bring plants onto the patio without covering up the rocks. We opted for individual cushions along the stone wall allowing everyone to grab one and claim their spot around the fire. One of the best parts of it all is that the "plain side" of the Lodge finally has the pizzazz it deserves.